New Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
Founded in 2005, the Silmarillion Writers' Guild exists for discussions of and creative fanworks based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion and related texts. We are a positive-focused and open-minded space that welcomes fans from all over the world and with all levels of experience with Tolkien's works. Whether you are picking up Tolkien's books for the first time or have been a fan for decades, we welcome you to join us!
New Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
Cultus Dispatches: Communities Do Comment
Comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Instadrabbling Sessions for July, August, and September
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.
New Challenge: Scavenger Hunt
In this Matryoshka-with-a-twist, you will solve clues that point you to the challenge prompts.
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
[Writing] Wrensong and Roses by Isilme_among_the_stars
Concerned by his responses to the paraphernalia of healing, Fingon steals Maedhros from his room for an impromptu garden excursion. Maedhros battles with dark thoughts.
[Writing] The Mirror Crack'd by AdmirableMonster
Rescued from a brutal Angband hunt, an ex-thrall with a strange and powerful artifact embedded in his spine is brought to Himring, for it is one of the only places in Beleriand which welcomes such folk. Though he has no memories of his life before, Anniavas slowly becomes accustomed to his new…
[Writing] Bon(e)fire by Fuin
On the night before the battle, Caranthir and his ally share thoughts about their peoples' traditions:
Burning bones ward off evil.
[Writing] Until the Stars are All Alight by Dagstjarna
Reembodied in Aman, Celebrimbor decides to return to Middle earth to help heal the darkness and hurt wrought by the ring.
Epic 80s
Create a fanwork using on of our righteous prompts based on popular culture from the 1980s. Read more ...
Jubilee
This January, for our annual amnesty challenge, any challenge from January 2017 onward is fair game! Read more ...
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Expanding on my 2018 article "Why People Don't Comment," comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Fandom Draws the Line: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn Felagund, Grundy
By definition, fanworks fandom does not draw a lot of boundaries, but community archives and events have taken a strong stance against AI-generated fanworks due to ethical considerations and member input.
Grief, Grieving, and Permission to Mourn in the "Quenta Silmarillion" by Dawn Walls-Thumma
In a book as full of death as the Quenta Silmarillion, grief and mourning are surprisingly absent. The characters who receive grief and mourning—and those who don't—appear to do so due to narrative bias. Grief and mourning (or a lack of them) serve to draw attention toward and away from objectionable actions committed by characters.
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
Bilbo, the strange old hobbit with the wandering feet, senses something special in young Frodo the first time he sees the lad; as they become close, they find in each other a cameraderie not well understood by other hobbits. Five poignant moments between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins over the course…
[Artwork] The Mirror of Galadriel by skywardstruck
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
[Writing] Bar-en-Eladar by Gabriel
Out of the shadow, light is born anew.
A Chieftain is dead. And whilst the events surrounding his death are unclear, a son tries to come to terms with his loss.
Tolkien Disability Pride 2026
This Tumblr event focuses on ALL creative works focusing on disability in Tolkien's universe.
Tolkien Native Language Appreciation Fest 2026
A Tumblr event to celebrate the linguistic diversity of the Tolkien fandom.
Scribbles and Drabbles 2026
Scribbles & Drabbles is a fic and art exchange with a minimum word count of 100 words.
Russingon Week 2026
A Tumblr week event focusing on the relationship between Maedhros and Fingon.
Boromir Week 2026
If you are Boromir girlies/gents/stans/simps, then this event is for you! So, come join us, and bring your fanfiction, art, gifs, moodboards, and headcanons that highlight everything you love about our Captain of Gondor!
I love this so much. There's such a fairytale touch to it, which is very very Tolkien, but at the same time it gives us much more of a complete understanding of the characters than Tolkien does in the Silmarillion. I never really cared that much about the Swan-ships until now, and you have me mourning every single one; this whole fic really made a part of the Legendarium come alive for me that I've never been able to see before. Thank you so much for writing it!
(Also, your OC/OC romance worked out GREAT!)
Thank you! It's been something that I've always felt a little awkward about when writing Feanorian-sympathetic POVs, that the First Kinslaying is so significant for the Doom of the Noldor but we don't get much of a sense of its impact on the Teleri. I'm glad I could help fill that in a little more.
You really brought out the trauma and bereavement, and how Elhen at first feels only the displacement, but eventually the new environment helps her develop empathy with some of the motivations that underlie the Noldor's behaviour, which at first was only shocking in its violence. Like the different degree of emotional dependence on Treelight. It is very generous of her to relent as far as she does, even with that personal bond with Almasulo, as it is clear that her loss of the Swan really and truly cannot be compensated for.
There were a lot of details to appreciate!
Thank you! Yeah, I tried to write her as someone who is generous by nature and takes seriously her responsibilities to provide food for others and to save people from the Hunter, even though she is very angry about a terrible loss.
I really appreciate your help with this fic! And thank you for catching the placeholder names, they should be all fixed now (I hope).
I loved this fic!! Like instantly fell in love with the characters, and it was a lot of fun seeing looks into different traditions of the Teleri and the Noldor as well <3
Thank you for the comment and glad you enjoyed! It was an interesting challenge to write.
Wow, this is such an unusual look at life in Valinor after the Darkening! I've enjoyed your world-building just as much as your characters as they move through this difficult time and emotions, gradually falling into genuine friendship and love. Thanks for creating this!
Thank you! The challenge was very inspiring and I learned a lot from it. I had been used to thinking of Valinor as a place where nothing happens, but from the perspective of 'ordinary people' who are responsible for food production of course things happen, things are always happening, the work is always difficult and always important. I appreciate the kind comment. I was also really surprised to find out how much we know about anonymous Teleri. It felt less like writing an OC and more like putting together a canon character from hints in canon. We know less about Finarfin's returnees but still rather a lot, especially if we assume that they were also among those who listened to Feanor and were convinced by him.
Thank you so much for the kind comment!
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Comments on After the Kinslaying
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